Granule applicator

ABSTRACT

Granules are placed in a hopper having a resilient seal surrounding a bottom outlet under which rotates the periphery of a roll having a cavity for receiving a preselected quantity of such granules each time the cavity passes under such outlet. The cavity roll in turn drives a belt carried by idler rolls located so that the belt contacts the cavity roll directly after the periphery of such roll leaves the hopper outlet seal, and such contact continues until the belt reaches the bottom of the roll, where a horizontal reach of the belt carries the granules to a discharge station above a distribution roll. From such distribution roll the granules fall under a gate onto a sheet of roofing material which moves horizontally thereunder.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,73%,397 Magnus 51 May 1, 1973 I GRANULE APPLICATOR [75] Inventor: Bruno E. Magnus, Dunellen, NJ. Primary Examiner stanle Tonberg Assistant Examiner-Francis J. Bartuska [73] Asslgnee: GAF corporatmn New York Att0rney-Walter C. Kehm, Samson B. Leavitt and 221 Filed: Oct.2, 1970 Martin Smolowitz Appl. No.: 77,561

US. Cl. ..222/254, 1 18/308, 222/368,

[57] ABSTRACT Granules are placed in a hopper having a resilient seal surrounding a bottom outlet under which rotates the periphery of a roll having a cavity for receiving a preselected quantity of such granules each time the cavity passes under such outlet. The cavity roll in turn drives a belt carried by idler rolls located so that the belt contacts the cavity roll directly after the periphery of such roll leaves the hopper outlet seal, and such contact continues until the belt reaches the bottom of the roll, where a horizontal reach of the belt carries the granules to a discharge station above a distribution roll. From such distribution roll the granules fall under a gate onto a sheet of roofing material which moves horizontally thereunder.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED- 3 3,730,397

SHEET 1 OF 2 Bruno E. Mflgnu T RNEY PMENTED W 73 SHEET 2 [1F 2 Fig. 5.

Fig. 4.

INVENTOR.

Fig. 6.

GRANULE APPLICATOR This invention relates to granule applicators, and more particularly to apparatus for applying granular material to sheets of roofing material.

Known devices for applying granules to roofing sheets involve mechanisms which apply a pattern by starting and stopping means, or reciprocating means which respond to signals. This requires undesirable acceleration and deceleration of the equipment causing wear and tear due to the forces set up thereby. Also, such equipment comprises complicated clutches, brakes, cam switches, or other sequencing mechanism, that require expensive and continuous maintenance, because of clutch and brake slippage, variations in the operative sequence, etc., to keep the selected pattern uniform.

Such problems are overcome by the present invention which comprises means for metering a measured quantity of granular material and applying this material to a moving sheet or surface The granular material is applied to the sheet or surface in an evenly distributed layer, and in a predetermined sequence and in registration with the sheet. By using a series of these devices, each containing a different granular material, a continuous repeating pattern of the granular materials can be obtained in the sheet.

This invention avoids difficulties with maintaining patterns at varying machine speeds, since it is continuous in operation and has no need for brakes, clutches or other components to provide intermittent operation to start and stop the granule drop.

Some advantages of this invention over existing devices are as follows:

a. Operation is continuous and there is no stopping and starting of components, thus eliminating the forces associated with accelerations and decelerations.

b. The continuous operation eliminates the need for clutches, brakes, cam switches or other sequencing mechanisms.

c. The continuous operation eliminates variations between successive granule drops caused by:

1. Variations in clutch and brake slippage.

2. Variations in operation of sequencing mechanism.

3. Operating at different machine speeds with fixed clutch and brake response times.

The invention provides a granule applicator unit in which a granule hopper is located well above a horizontalpath along which the sheet moves continuously during the application of granules thereon. A cavity roll is located directly under the hopper, and drives a belt that is carried by idler rolls. One ofthe idler rolls is located above the cavity roll and in back of the hopper, another is located under and behind the cavity roll, and the third is located under and in front of the cavity roll. A distribution roll is located under such third idler roll, and directly above the moving sheet. A deflector gate, associated with such distribution roll, provides a distribution gate for the granules which fall onto the sheet in a uniform layer thereon. A number of such units are used in tandem to vary the pattern of granules applied to the moving sheet as desired.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view mainly inside elevation of a granule applicator unit illustrative of the invention.

FIG. 2-6 are similar views illustrative of the operation of such unit.

Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated unit 10 is located over the longitudinal path of the sheet 12 which moves continuously in the direction of arrow 14. The unit 10 comprises a granule hopper 16, a cavity roll 18, a belt 20, three idler rolls 22, 24 and 26, a distribution roll 28, and a deflector gate 30. The roll 18 is provided with a cavity 32 in the periphery thereof; and the lower portion of the hopper with a resilient seal 34 surrounding the outlet 38 in the bottom thereof.

Rolls 22, 24 and 26 are located above, behind and under the roll 18 so that the belt 20 contacts a part of the circumference of the roll 18 behind and under the same. The roll 26 is located directly above roll 28, and the gate 30 is spaced from the roll 28 to provide a distribution roll feed opening 40 above the sheet 12. The cavity roll 18 is driven in unison with the distribution roll 28 and sheet 12 by a common drive motor (not shown) and in turn drives belt 20.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, respectively, an example of the sequence of operation of unit 10 is as follows:

I. EMPTY CAVITY APPROACI-IING HOPPER OPENING In this part of the sequence the empty cavity 32 in cavity roll 18 is moving toward the discharge opening 38 in the granule hopper 16. The elastic material 34 fastened to the bottom of the hopper 16 around the opening 38 is in contact with the surface of the cavity roll 18 forming a seal which prevents the flow of granules 42 out of the hopper opening.

II. CAVITY BEING CHARGED WITH GRANULES At this point, the cavity 32 in the cavity roll 18 is located directly below the discharge opening 38 in the granule hopper l6 and the granules 42 are now free to flow into and fill the cavity 32.

III. GRANULES BEING CARRIED AROUND ROLL,

INSIDE OF CAVITY The cavity 32 in the cavity roll 18 has now moved past the discharge opening 38 in the granule hopper l6 and the elastic seal 34 around the hopper opening 38 again prevents the flow of granules out of the hopper 16. The granules 42' inside of the cavity are now con-. fined within the cavity 32 by the belt 20 which is riding on the surface of and moving with the driven cavity roll IV. GRANULES BEING TRANSFERRED FROM CAVITY TO BELT are deposited on the horizontal reach 20' of the moving belt 20.

V. GRANULES BEING TRANSFERRED FROM BELT TO DISTRIBUTION ROLL The granules 42' have all been transferred from the cavity 32 to the belt 20, and are being fed by gravity from the belt 20 to the distribution roll 28.

VI. GRANULES BEING FED ONTO SHEET BY DISTRIBUTION ROLL All the granules 42' have now been transferred from the belt to the distribution roll 28 and are contained in the pocket 44 formed by the deflector gate 30 and the distribution roll 28. As the distribution roll 28 rotates the granules 42 are fed onto the sheet 12 through the opening 40 formed between the distribution roll 28 and the bottom of the deflector gate 30.

At this state of the operational cycle, the sequence returns to l, and the steps I through VI are repeated.

Since the pocket volume is fixed, the quantity of granules applied is the same for every drop. Also, since the cavity roll and distribution roll are tied directly to and driven in proportion to the machine speed, the rate with respect to the sheet speed at which granules are dropped from the distribution roll is constant at all speeds and therefore granule distribution is always uniform.

Although this invention was developed primarily for the application of roofing granules to the roofing sheet, it could be employed in other applications where it is desired to apply a known quantity of granular or powdery material to a moving sheet or other surface in a predetermined sequence and predetermined thickness of material.

The width of application (at right angles to the direction of sheet travel) of the material on the sheet can be varied by changing the width of the cavity (inthe direction parallel to the axis of the cavity roll).

The volume of the cavity can be changed by changing one or more of the dimensions of the cavity.

The depth of the material as applied to the sheet or surface can be changed by changing the volume of the cavity and/or the size of the opening between the distribution roll and deflector gate and/or by changing the speed of the distribution roll with respect to the sheet or surface speed.

The timing or sequencing and spacing of applications of the granular material on the sheet can be changed by simply adjusting the drive ratio between the applicator unit and the sheet.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved granular applicator apparatus for applying a fixed quantity of granular material to a continuously moving sheet, including:

a hopper for storing granular material;

a cavity roll provided with a single cavity in the periphery of said roll adapted to receive granular material from said hopper;

a belt adapted to co-act with said roll to prevent the release of granules from said cavity until a designated time;

a distribution roll disposed beneath said belt, moving in concert with said cavity roll and driven in proportion to said moving sheet, to thereby enable the uniform distribution of granules;

a series of idler rolls being disposed behing and under said cavity roll permitting said belt to contact a portion of the circumference of the cavity roll behind and under such cavity roll; and

an idler roll disposed directly above said distribution roll cooperating with a gate means spaced from said distribution roll forming a granule feed opening above said sheet for the distribution of granules onto such sheet. 

1. An improved granular applicator apparatus for applying a fixed quantity of granular material to a continuously moving sheet, including: a hopper for storing granular material; a cavity roll provided with a single cavity in the periphery of said roll adapted to receive granular material from said hopper; a belt adapted to co-act with said roll to prevent the release of granules from said cavity until a designated time; a distribution roll disposed beneath said belt, moving in concert with said cavity roll and driven in proportion to said moving sheet, to thereby enable the uniform distribution of granules; a series of idler rolls being disposed behing and under said cavity roll permitting said belt to contact a portion of the circumference of the cavity roll behind and under such cavity roll; and an idler roll disposed directly above said distribution roll cooperating with a gate means spaced from said distribution roll forming a granule feed opening above said sheet for the distribution of granules onto such sheet. 